Offers multiple GOP amendments to safeguard against violent criminal illegal immigrants, all rejected by Senate Democrats.

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Senior Deputy Republican Leader Rob Sampson (R-Wolcott) today condemned the expansion of Connecticut’s "Trust Act" under HB 7529, which will further limit law enforcement’s ability to cooperate with federal immigration authorities while also exposing municipalities to costly lawsuits.

The bill, which cleared the Senate today along party lines, adds more restrictions on law enforcement’s ability to share information with federal agencies, further increasing the risk of shielding criminal illegal immigrants from deportation. The bill also introduces a provision allowing individuals to sue municipalities that violate the Trust Act, potentially driving up property taxes.

“Two-thirds of Connecticut voters believe criminal illegal immigrants should be deported. Majority Democrats reversed the original intent of the Trust Act by adding violent criminal illegal immigrants to the list of those it protects in 2019. Today, they’ve gone even further, excluding more law enforcement categories from cooperating with federal authorities and imposing penalties on towns and taxpayers. 

"By further shielding violent criminal illegal immigrants, it now puts our state in a position where we're attracting both law-abiding immigrants and violent criminals alike. There is a reason why I coined the term 'Super Sanctuary State' and this policy proves it. This does not serve the people of Connecticut. Immigration policy should be a federal issue, and it's time we work with our congressional delegation to address it at the national level and stay in our own lane," said Sen. Sampson.

Sen. Sampson and Senate Republicans offered multiple amendments to counteract the increased public safety threat posed by HB 7529's provisions. These amendments would allow law enforcement to collaborate with federal immigration authorities in cases involving serious violent offenses like burglary, second-degree assault of an elderly, blind or disabled person, second-degree assault of an elderly, blind, or disabled person with a firearm, and contamination of a water or food supply for terrorist purposes—all of which are currently protected under the Act.

Democrats rejected these amendments mostly along party lines. The underlying bill now moves to the governor's desk to be signed into law.

Background:

• Democrat expansions of the controversial Trust Act included in the far-reaching HB 7529 would: expand the definition of "law enforcement" to also include everyone within the Department of Criminal Justice, juvenile probation officers, and the entire Board of Pardons and Paroles. It would restrict these individuals from sharing information, detaining, or granting custody, and accessing federal immigration officials unless the criminal has certain C felony convictions (along with existing A and B felony convictions); and it would create a private cause-of-action against a municipality for anyone aggrieved by that municipality's violation of the Trust Act.

• Sen. Sampson introduced several bills over the past eight years to ensure that local and state governments respect federal immigration law, aiming to eliminate “Sanctuary Cities.” These bills were blocked by Democrat committee co-chairs, who control the bills that advance through the legislature: 2017 HB 5272/5555; 2019 SB 993; 2021 SB 512 and 2023 SB 778.

• In 2019, he coined the term "Super Sanctuary State" as a reflection of majority Democrat policies that attract illegal immigrants from across the nation, such as the expanded Trust Act and the provision of driver's licenses and taxpayer-funded HUSKY Healthcare.

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